Taipei American School, Taipei, Taiwan by Deb Glasser, MS, RD

SNP has been working with the Taipei American School in Taipei, Taiwan to improve their food service operation. President Emily Burson and Jason Keegan, VP of Operations, along with colleagues at the Humane Society and School Food and Wellness Group just returned from a trip where they worked with staff, improving efficiency and communication, and teaching them scratch cooked Western recipes.

The Taipei staff was trained on several of SNP’s most popular recipes including Roasted Sunflower Seed Pesto Pasta, Chicken Street Burrito, BBQ Pulled Turkey Sandwich, Pineapple Coleslaw with from-scratch dressing, Pico de Gallo, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. While we couldn’t transport the actual train to Taipei, versions of our APT salads did make an appearance: “UVWZ” (urad bean, Vidalia onion, watercress, and zucchini), “PQR” (pomegranate, quinoa, and raisin), and “FGH” (fennel, grape honeydew), although watermelon was substituted for fennel.

“There were some challenges with procuring ingredients in Taiwan” Emily explained. “We had to use sunflower seeds because they don’t have pine nuts, and we used Thai basil instead of traditional basil. The street taco turned into a street burrito at the last minute because there weren’t any six inch soft taco shells”. While some substitutions were made, flavor was never compromised. In addition to the APT salads, the Taipei students will notice several other new salads appearing on their menu, like our Citrus Edamame, Arugula Strawberry Mango Avocado, and Southwestern Salad.

Jason’s trip highlights include working with the Humane Society to teach vegan recipes including Tofu Tacos and Cookie Dough Hummus (insert link) and working with students. “I was impressed with how student led the school is. They have the capability to do anything. I worked with the graphic design class on the branding concepts for their snack bar and they were amazing.”

The Taipei American School is a big and impressive operation, servicing thousands of students and we can’t wait to see the changes they’ve implemented when we return in the spring. SNP is excited to continue our work supporting them and expanding our international footprint.